


My Fair Gamine

by dreamingoutloud



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Makeover, Rescue, Romance, canon kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-16 12:50:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2270409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingoutloud/pseuds/dreamingoutloud
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the social event of the season and Les Amis wants Enjolras to attend, but there's not a date to be found.  Marius steps in with a solution, but the girl he chooses isn't meant for the life of the rich and ball-attending.  With a little help from his friends, they get Eponine ready for Enjolras to receive the surprise of his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a one shot but I started plotting scenes in my head and now it's a multi-chapter thing. With Cosette, who originally was not a thing? I don't even know! But yes. It's obviously a play on My Fair Lady and is fairly close to canon with the exception of when people meet, etc. And no one dies (at least not till after the fic is over cause dude, I needed some fluff). Un-beta'ed, I just wanted some fun.

"You have to come up for air eventually," Combferre insisted. The group around him all nodded their agreement, even Marius who was usually pretty easygoing about letting Enjolras do his own thing.

But their great leader only shrugged his shoulders and continued to stare at the book he currently had his nose buried in. "I'm quite busy, in case you all haven't noticed," he muttered, his tone annoyed. 

It didn't curb his annoyance any when the other men began to laugh. "Oh, we've noticed all right," Grantaire agreed, snickering. "We'd have to be fools to miss it. But this is the biggest social event in basically forever. You deserve to enjoy yourself, have some wine, have some women..." His expression was lewd, earning him a grin from Joly. All it earned him from Enjolras was a roll of his eyes. 

"The rest of us are going," Courfeyrac insisted. A murmur of agreement came from around the room and Enjolras sighed, putting his quill down and looking up, glaring at the room in general. Most of the chatter died down, but not Courf. As one of Enjolras' closest friends, he'd entrusted himself with the task of making certain his friend got out once in a while. "Don't give us that glare. We're looking out for you. It'll be fun."

To their credit, the only one of them to actually snort at the assumption that their marble statue could have a good time was Grantaire. But then, he did know the man better than most. Enjolras shot him a glare and then fixed his gaze back on Courfeyrac. "I don't particularly care if the rest of you go. I encourage you to. Go, enjoy yourselves. That doesn't mean I have to."

Combeferre sighed and Courfeyrac gripped Enjolras' shoulder. "Come on. You might just surprise yourself."

Making a final plea, Combferre leaned in. "Use it to your political advantage."

A smattering of groans spread through the room, but Enjolras looked up, his interest clearly peaked. "Oh? How do you propose I do that?"

"Well," Combferre began, knowing his friend well enough to appeal to his rallying nature. "Most of the important names in Paris will be there. It'll be a perfect time for getting the word out, spreading your message." 

Enjolras seemed to be listening, but his face fell. Then it settled back into its usual cool expression. He shut the book he'd been reading and notating from with a firm 'thud'. "Impossible." He sounded resolute. "I have no one to attend with."

Courfeyrac and Grantaire both snickered, but the rest of them actually seemed to view this situation as a problem. They exchanged glances between them. "You...could attend alone?" Combferre offered. 

At that, Enjolras merely lifted an eyebrow. "Honestly? At an event like that? It will only spark gossip of the unwanted variety, undoing everything my appearing at such a party was meant to achieve." 

Then, as if he weren't even in the room, a flurry of chatter began around him. Mostly names, and reasons they couldn't be of use to their situation. 

"Annette?"

"She's on holiday in England."

"Gabrielle might be willing."

"She injured herself riding, I don't think she'll be on her feet yet."

"Chantal?" 

"I've already invited her myself."

Enjolras was about to interrupt them. To get them to shut up, to tell them he didn't need their pity dates. There were plenty of women who had shown their interest. The problem was, he wasn't interested in them. They were all twits with air in their heads instead of intelligent thoughts. Ones that looked terribly bored if he mentioned the things that actually interested him. They didn't care about him or what mattered to him. All they were interested in was he was a good looking man from a wealthy family.

He didn't get a chance to say anything of the sort, though, because Marius piped up, "I may have someone. She's hardly your traditional date...but put her in a dress and I imagine she'd be pretty enough."

The whole room paused. It was as if the flurry of activity was suddenly stamped down. "Pretty enough?" Grantaire snorted. "You think quite highly of Apollo here, don't you? No worries, mon ami," he addressed Enjolras, "you may have a date who is 'pretty enough'."

The others gave him the obligatory laughter he was clearly looking for. But Enjolras eyed Marius carefully. "Looks don't matter so much," he replied, setting his jaw. "Who is she?"

"My friend, Eponine." 

"The gutter rat?" Grantaire yelped, his laughter turning almost painful. He was doubled over by that point. At that, the laughter spread, and the activity around the room picked up again. Most everyone went back to their tasks, as if expecting Enjolras to write off Marius' suggestion and likely just not go to the ball at all. 

But despite himself, Enjolras was listening. "She'd likely feel out of place at such an event," he told Marius, though he was sipping at his wine with a thoughtful look. "And I doubt she'd have anything suitable to wear. She wouldn't be very comfortable there." Honestly, though, it wasn't a terrible idea. It certainly made his cause look better. Want to help the people of the streets, Paris' general population? Let the bourgeoisie see the people they needed to help. Let them meet someone, see her out and about. And if she was a friend of Marius', she couldn't be entirely bad company, could she?

"I'll take care of all of that," Marius insisted, waving his hand. "Let me talk to her. We'll figure out a dress, all that. Cosette may be willing to help." 

Enjolras forced himself not to roll his eyes. Somehow he didn't think the little tagalong who was clearly in love with Marius was going to be very grateful at the new lady in his life assisting her to become more like them. But Marius was clearly clueless where the brunette was concerned. "If you can convince her, I'll see to it that she has suitable attire. Whatever that takes. Women, it's difficult."

Marius grinned. He was only now learning just how difficult women could be, but he did try. "Like I said, let me worry about that part. If she says yes, you'll go, right? No hiding behind books that night?" 

The expression he received for his efforts could only be considered exasperated. "I'll go. If it'll get you all to leave me alone for a few weeks after, I'll go."


	2. 2

"Please?" 

It was hard telling those beautiful eyes no. She'd done her best to curb her feelings for Marius Pontmercy the moment Cosette had come into his life. It hadn't really worked. He was her friend, and she didn't want to lose that. He was actually a very good friend and she needed someone like him in her life. But it was hard. Watching him fall madly in love with someone else. Especially when that someone else was Cosette. Eponine wasn't stupid. She knew the girl and the irony of the situation wasn't lost on her. A girl she'd once treated as a slave, as someone beneath her, had grown into a beauty with money and the man that Eponine so badly longed for.

She'd say it wasn't fair, but she wasn't entirely sure that was true.

What he was asking her now, though, was impossible. "Marius, I couldn't possibly," she protested, shaking her head, her hair bobbing around her. Hair that, no matter how she tried, never entirely felt clean. No part of her ever did. She didn't want to be the dirty little street rat, it wasn't like it was something she could help. And now he was asking her to go to some fancy party?

And what was worse was, it wasn't even with him. He was asking... "I've always been a bit scared of him, to be honest," she admitted.

"Who, Enjolras?" Marius questioned, looking surprised. "He's not...I mean, okay, he can be a little...intense." He struggled to find a word that wasn't insulting, she just knew it. "But he's got a good heart. Think of what he's trying to do for the people. A mean person couldn't do that."

Intense. Meaning he had a temper and God above, didn't she have enough of that in her life? Even entertaining the idea was dangerous. If her father found out, he'd likely beat her to within an inch of her life. It was bad enough she snuck out to be around Marius and to listen to the students and their talks of a better world. An entire night of pretending she was some rich and beautiful lady? It wasn't worth it.

"One doesn't have to be mean to be dangerous," she mused, more to herself, but Marius' eyebrows lifted in surprise. "I just mean that he is obviously very dedicated to your cause, but he doesn't strike me as someone who would take any enjoyment from a party such as this."

Marius' face wrinkled in thought and Eponine knew she'd made a good point. She hadn't expected him to refute it, though. Especially not as honestly as he did. "Look, I won't deny that he isn't Mr. Life of the Party. But a lot of that is because he doesn't know how to relax. You're good at that. You got me to lighten up?" Eponine's lips turned up in the barest hint of a smile. Sure she had. Marius was young and light hearted and enjoyed life. She wasn't entirely sure the same could be said for his great leader. "I'll be there with you, I promise."

Eponine sighed. It was terrible and she knew it. But she couldn't help but entertain the daydream where Marius saw her looking every bit a lady, asked her to dance, and was swept off of his feet. Cosette would be a distant memory and her sweet Marius would finally belong to her. 

And all she had to do was tolerate an evening on the arm of a man who, by rights, was absolutely terrifying when he wanted to be. 

She released a breath, blowing her hair out of her face as she did so. "Marius, I can't possibly. Look at me," she insisted, gesturing to her battered dress and her smudged face. Not to mention the tangled mess that was her hair. "How could someone like me even dream of attending an event like that?"

The smile that crossed his face seemed almost dangerous in nature. There was mischief in his eyes and she almost regretted asking. "Well. Enjolras will see to it that you have a gown, because I may have sweet talked him. And Cosette can help you get ready."

At that, her heart sank even further. He really had no idea what he was asking. "Is that right?" she questioned, the sass in her voice evident. "Have you actually asked her if she'd do so? Besides, I don't feel right taking charity."

Marius smirked. "Is it really charity when you've already basically said that you'll be doing him a favor by going?"

Her mouth dropped open. "Excuse me, I said no such thing!"

There was a laugh, a light playful sound that always made her smile. It was awful to still be so terribly in love with him and she knew it. It didn't make it any easier to make those feelings go away. "Well, you've said he doesn't seem pleasant to spend an evening with. So really, you're doing him a favor. The least he could do is pay for the gown. Trust me, he won't miss it. His family isn't...quite like mine." 

Eponine knew Marius refused to accept money from his family. By birth, he was incredibly rich, as much as Enjolras if not more. But he had been all but cut off. Whatever he had, he'd earned himself. She was surprised he even had the money for such an affair. Though he'd likely been saving, anyway. 

For a wedding, a little voice in her head argued. She told that voice to shut it right up. 

Eponine groaned and released a long breath. "You really think this is a good idea? Or even a mediocre idea? I don't know things like manners and deadiquette--"

"Etiquette," Marius interrupted.

"See? I know things, Monsiuer Marius, but not things like that. I'll make fools of us both, him, too." 

As if he knew her weakness, even though it seemed he was the only one who didn't, he placed his hands on her frail shoulders. "I'll help you. We have a few weeks, we'll do lessons, we'll make sure you're ready. I wouldn't just abandon you like that. I promise. Please? For me?"

There was nothing she could deny him, no matter how she tried. Oh, she knew it was wrong. She knew she was foolish. And yet she nodded, biting down on her lower lip. This was a stupid idea and everyone knew it. Everyone but Marius.

And she couldn't let him down. "I'll go. For you. So long as he understands that it may not go as he wishes. I don't know that everyone is going to be so accepting of me as you think. Not everyone has the heart that you do."

His face lit up and she'd tell him yes a thousand times over if it would get her that smile. "Really? You'll do it? You're brilliant, 'Ponine! Absolutely a wonderful human being." He scooped her into a quick hug and then released her almost as quickly. It was just enough to keep the part of her that was so desperately in love with him fueled for at least a week. "I can't wait to tell the others."

Despite her resolve to try and be happy about it, Eponine couldn't help but groan.


End file.
